About the work
Farce with song in four acts by Johann Nestroy, first performed, according to the contemporary printed edition, on 29 March 1852 at the Carltheater in Vienna. It was based on the novel "L'Orgueil" (1848) by Eugène Sue.
Plot
The eccentric country doctor Kampl helps his old friend Baron Felsbach search for the daughter he gave away years earlier. At the same time, the wealthy Pauline becomes the target of several fortune hunters; Kampl, posing as her guardian Dr. Muschl, exposes their true character. In the end Pauline finds real love with Wilhelm, while the long-lost Netti turns out to be Felsbach's daughter and is free to marry Ludwig.
Cultural significance
With "Kampl," Nestroy achieved one of his greatest stage successes just ten years before his death; the play ran for 82 performances at the Carltheater and ranks among the most frequently performed works of his later years.